Rebuilding Bosnia and Herzegovina One Woman at a Time – Women for Women International Reaches Out to Those Affected by Conflict

Now zoom out those statistics to include every other country that Women for Women has helped. These are the conflict-ravaged countries like Rwanda, Iraq and Colombia. Worldwide, the organization has served more than 93,000 women in various conflict-torn countries and distributed over $25 million in loans. It’s not unusual for women in the program to step into leadership positions within their villages, rebuilding their civil societies by playing an active role in village development, starting businesses and mentoring other women.

How did this nonprofit manage to achieve such phenomenal success? As their name indicates, through other women. Donors agree to sponsor a woman for $27 USD/month, creating a sisterhood that includes communication through letters. This simple donation helps women in need (the sisters on the receiving end) access to micro-capital for small business development and skills with literacy education. The sisters on the donating end get the perk of making a new friend, learning directly about the dynamics of conflict recovery and staying in touch with their sister as she progresses through her program.

According to founder Zainab Salbi:

“In 2006, Women for Women International facilitated the exchange of more than 70,000 letters between sponsors and their sisters. The stories the women share help to educate sponsors about the dynamics of conflict, injustice, and social exclusion, while inspiring many to become active in their own communities on behalf of the women and the challenges they face.”

Zainab Salbi says that she still gets goose bumps when she thinks of a speech she heard at a Women for Women International graduation in Bosnia and Herzegovina:

“Sherezada, a 15-year-old girl…spoke in front of her mother and her mother’s newfound friends. ‘I listened to my mother and her friends talking with excitement about letters from their sponsor sisters and I admired these wonderful women who learned about my town recently and who support emotionally and materially women they have never seen. Who knows, maybe one day God will give them opportunity to meet and build an invisible bridge from the USA to Vares, a bridge made of life and friendship. Thanks to these women…women in my town started to wake up.’”

Women for Women International’s phenomenal success was recently publicly recognized as they received the Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize. Fans of the women in these programs can become sponsors and purchase gift items, such as knitwear made in Bosnia and Herzegovina, directly from the Women for Woman website at: WomenForWomen.org
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- This short film/video shows how Women for Women International is working today to help rebuild the war-torn lives of the women of Bosnia / Herzegovina.
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- Drea Knufken, of WNN – Women News Network, is a journalist writing for human rights, gender equality and women’s advocacy. Bulgarian photographer, Svetlana Bahchevanova, has exhibited her work in Europe and the United States in galleries and museums and has been published by numerous major newspapers, agencies and magazines such a International Herald Tribune, l’Humanitie, Soar, Pravda, Biography, Reuters and Associated Press. -
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Sources for this article include the International Criminal Tribunal, UN studies, YouTube, Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children, IMF studies and Women for Women International’s website and newsletters.
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©WNN – Women News Network 2007

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